---
description: Using Hasura with a Railway Postgres database
title: 'Cloud: Using Hasura Cloud with a Railway Postgres database'
keywords:
  - hasura
  - docs
  - existing database
  - guide
  - railway
sidebar_label: Railway Postgres
sidebar_position: 16
---

import Thumbnail from '@site/src/components/Thumbnail';
import HeadingIcon from '@site/src/components/HeadingIcon';

# Connecting Hasura to a Railway Postgres Database

## Introduction

This guide explains how to connect a new or existing
[Railway Postgres database](https://docs.railway.app/databases/postgresql) to a Hasura instance, either on
[Hasura Cloud](https://cloud.hasura.io?skip_onboarding=true) or via one of our
[self-hosted](/deployment/deployment-guides/index.mdx) solutions. If you're exploring Railway Postgres and are
interested in migrating an existing Postgres database - such as from Heroku - check out their
[docs](https://railway.app/heroku) before continuing below.

:::info Note

If you plan on using Hasura Cloud, which we recommend, follow steps 1 and 2 below. If you're self-hosting a Hasura
instance and already have a project running, skip to [step 3](#create-pg-db-railway).

:::

## Step 1: Sign up or log in to Hasura Cloud

Navigate to [Hasura Cloud](https://cloud.hasura.io/signup/?pg=docs&plcmt=body&cta=navigate-to-hasura-cloud&tech=default)
and sign up or log in.

## Step 2: Create a Hasura Cloud project {#create-hasura-project}

On the Hasura Cloud dashboard, create a new project:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/create-hasura-cloud-project.png" alt="Create Hasura Cloud project" />

After the project is initialized successfully, click on `Launch Console` to open the Hasura Console in your browser.

On the Hasura Console, navigate to the `Data` tab and choose `Connect Existing Database`. Hasura will prompt you for a
Postgres Database URL. We'll create this in the next step and then come back here.

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/existing-db-setup.png" alt="Hasura Cloud database setup" width="700px" />

## Step 3: Create a Postgres DB on Railway {#create-pg-db-railway}

Log into [Railway](https://railway.app/dashboard).

From your dashboard, click `New Project`:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/railway/railway-new-project.png" alt="Create a new project with Railway" width="700px" />

Select `Provision PostgreSQL`:

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/railway/railway-new-pg.png" alt="Create a new PG db with Railway" width="700px" />

Railway will redirect you to the project's dashboard. After a few seconds, you should see the `Activity` card update
with information about your new instance. Congratulations! You've now created a Postgres instance on Railway which you
can use with Hasura GraphQL Engine. Follow the steps below to connect it to Hasura.

## Step 4: Get the database connection URL {#get-db-url}

The structure of the database connection URL looks as follows:

```bash
postgresql://<user-name>:<password>@<host-server>:<port>/<database-name>
```

Click on the `PostgreSQL` card to see details related to this instance.

<Thumbnail
  src="/img/cloud-dbs/railway/railway-choose-pg.png"
  alt="Access your the details of the db from the card"
  width="700px"
/>

Choose the `Connect` tab and copy the `Postgres Connection URL`:

<Thumbnail
  src="/img/cloud-dbs/railway/railway-connection-string.png"
  alt="Go to the connect tab and grab the connection string"
  width="700px"
/>

## Step 5: Finish connecting the database

Back on the Hasura Console, enter the database URL that we retrieved in the previous step:

<Thumbnail
  src="/img/cloud-dbs/render/render-connect-db.png"
  alt="Connect the database on Hasura Console"
  width="700px"
/>

Then click `Connect Database`.

:::info Note

For security reasons, it is recommended to set database URLs as
[env vars](/hasura-cloud/projects/env-vars.mdx#manage-project-env-vars) and using the env vars to connect to the
databases in place of the raw database URLs.

:::

Voilà. You are ready to start developing.

<Thumbnail src="/img/cloud-dbs/hasura-console.png" alt="Hasura Console" />

## Next steps

- You can check out our [30-Minute Hasura Basics Course](https://hasura.io/learn/graphql/hasura/introduction/) and other
  [GraphQL & Hasura Courses](https://hasura.io/learn/) for a more detailed introduction to Hasura.

- If using Hasura Cloud, you can also click the gear icon to manage your Hasura Cloud project. (e.g. add
  [collaborators](/hasura-cloud/projects/collaborators.mdx#manage-project-collaborators),
  [env vars](/hasura-cloud/projects/env-vars.mdx#manage-project-env-vars) or
  [custom domains](/hasura-cloud/domains.mdx#manage-project-domains)).

<Thumbnail src="/img/getting-started/project-manage.png" alt="Project actions" width="860px" />

:::info Note

For more information on which Postgres features we support, check out [this page](/databases/feature-support.mdx).

:::
